Thursday, November 11, 2010Voomerang Enters Local Deals FrayBeverly Hills-based Voomerang, a new daily local deals site, has entered into the crowded group and local deals market today, saying it has officially launched its daily deals service. The firm--which was co-founded by Pat Sajak, the host of Wheel of Fortune--said it will offer deals on local events, restaurants, and attractions around Los Angeles and other cities. Like the many other daily deals sites cropping up around the country, Voomerang offers up both website and email deals. The firm is (More info...)
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Business.com To Shut DownNorth Carolina-based Dex One, the current owner of Santa Monica-based Business.com, said this week that it is shutting down Business.com, and realigning those operations, merging them into its current business. The shutdown comes three years after Dex One paid $345M for Business.com. Business.com offered up an online directory of local businesses, combined with content and expert commentary. Dex One said that "the Business.com operations are no longer viable and are not a part of our long-term p (More info...)
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Aires Pharmaceuticals Raises $20M, Inks Exclusive With NovartisSan Diego-based Aires Pharmaceuticals, a developer of treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension, said this morning that it has raised $20M in a Series B funding round. The round was led by MPM Capital, and also included prior investor ProQuest Investments. MPM's Dr. William Greene joins the board as part of the funding. As part of the funding, Aires said that it has entered into an agreement with Novartis, where Novartis will gain an exclusive option to acquire the firm completing successfu (More info...)
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Activision Blizzard's Take On Call Of Duty Black Ops: $360MSanta Monica-based Activision Blizzard reports today that it saw about $360 million in sales Tuesday, in the first 24 hours of the release of its new title, Call of Duty: Black Ops. Activision said the sales totals, which included both North America and the United Kingdom, exceeded last year's launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which had one day sell through of $310M. Activision sold approximately 5.6 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops on November 9th, the first day of release. The (More info...)
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On-Ramp Wireless Expands In AsiaSan Diego-based On-Ramp Wireless, a developer of wireless sytems used for device-to-device communications, said Thursday that it has expanded in Asia. The company said it has opened up a new office in Singapore, headed by General Manager Hon Yew Leung. Leung joins the company from Itron International, a maker of smart utility meters. On-Ramp said its products are aimed at smart grid applications including transmitting information from electric, water, and gas meters.
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Inphi Raises $81.6M In IPOInphi, the maker of high speed analog semiconductors, has raised $81.6M in its IPO, after pricing 6.8 million shares of its common stock at $12.00 per share today. The pricing was at the high end of its estimated initial public offering range, which as at between $10.00 and $12.00 per share. Inphi--which is based in Santa Clara, but has a big chunk of its operations in Westlake Village--is venture backed by Walden International, Tallwood, Mayfield Fund, and Samsung Electronics. The firm's IPO wa (More info...)
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Ceregene Scores $11.5MSan Diego-based biopharmaceuticals firm Ceregene announced this morning that it has raised $11.5M in a Series D funding round. The round was co-led by Hamilton Bioventures and Alta Partners, and also included MPM Capital and Investor Growth Capital. Ceregene said the new funding will go towards its Phase 2b clinical study of its lead compound, targeted at treatment of Parkinson's disease. As part of the funding, Hamilton BioVentures' Kerry Dance joins the company's board. Separately, the firm sa (More info...)
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DataPop Gets $1.7MLos Angeles-based DataPop, a new paid search ad management firm started by a pair of Overture/Yahoo Search Marketing veterans, has raised $1.7M in a Series A funding round, the company said this morning. The round was led by Rincon Ventures, and also included IA Ventures, Momentum Ventures, Accelerator Ventures, and angels. DataPop was founded Jason Lehmbeck and John Zimmerman, both of whom have been at Overture and Yahoo!. The company's technology allows search marketers to automatically create (More info...)
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Active Network Teams With Yearbook Photography FirmSan Diego-based Active Network, which operates a network of sports and community registration sites and offers up other related software products, said today along with school photography firm Lifetouch National School Studios Inc., that they have teamed up to create online stores for school yearbook sales. The companies said that Active Network will provides its web-based software to allow schools to manage their yearbook funds, inventory, and sales. Financial details of the arrangement were no (More info...)
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